On Sunday, two merchant vessels were attacked by armed skiffs off the coast of Yemen, prompting renewed concerns about piracy and maritime security in the Gulf of Aden. Reports from UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) highlighted the incidents amid ongoing focus on regional conflicts involving Iran and the Houthi movement.
The first attack occurred approximately 14 nautical miles south of Yemen when a containership was approached by a small skiff whose occupants opened fire and attempted to board. However, the crew successfully thwarted the attack, and no casualties or damage were reported. Later, UKMTO reported a second incident involving a tanker around 111 nautical miles southeast of Aden, where a skiff with four armed men fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the vessel. Authorities are currently investigating both attacks.
These incidents follow a recent armed confrontation where a security team on a merchant vessel exchanged fire with a skiff carrying six armed individuals. Despite threats from the Iran-backed Houthis regarding Israeli-linked shipping, the tactics used in these latest incidents align more closely with traditional piracy, reminiscent of the Somali piracy crisis.
The Joint Maritime Information Center has issued warnings regarding ongoing piracy threats in the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin, where current reports indicate that three merchant vessels are held by Somali pirates, highlighting the region’s continued vulnerability.
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